Documents

Water Quality Projects

Current projects

Watershed Committee of the Ozarks (WCO) is contracting the Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute (OEWRI) at Missouri State University (MSU) to provide technical expertise and assistance to help complete the SWAT model to evaluate nonpoint and point source contributions of bacteria/E. coli to the Little Sac River system.

The Missouri State Office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) asked the Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute (OEWRI) at Missouri State University (MSU) to submit a proposed plan and budget for a pilot watershed assessment study for the Lamar Lake - North Fork Spring River Watershed.

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 were amended in 1977 and became commonly known as the Clean Water Act (CWA) (United States Code, 2002). The Act established the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and gave the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) the authority to implement pollution control programs.

Completed projects

The purpose of this study is to quantify variations in wastewater specific indicators at base flow along a 9.7 km segment of Pearson Creek beginning at the confluence with the James River going upstream to State Highway YY (Division St.).

The purpose of this study is to quantify variations in wastewater-specific indicators at base flow along a 5.7 km segment of Wilson Creek beginning at the West Farm Road 150 going upstream to the confluence of Jordan and Fassnight Creeks.

This project involved the implementation of detention basin retrofits designed to improve infiltration capacity and increase residence time to ultimately reduce nutrient and sediment pollution within the existing storm water infrastructure. This project supports efforts to meet TMDL requirements and the future Wilson Creek TMDL by finding effective techniques to meet these water quality standards.

This project involved the implementation of several storm water BMPs with the goal of improving water quality. South and Fassnight Creeks are sub-watersheds of Wilson Creek, which have a long history of water quality degradation from a variety of point and nonpoint pollution sources associated with urban development

This project involves a watershed-scale water and sediment study of Pearson Creek to address unknown toxicity and nonpoint pollution sources including nutrients, metals, and bacteria to support efforts to develop a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) by 2009.

The Show-Me Yards, Neighborhoods, Farms and Ranches (SMYNFR) program will target suburban homeowners and small acreage land owners (300 acres or less) that do not qualify as commercial agricultural operations.

This study was designed to determine the dynamics of suspended sediment and dissolved solids transport in the karst-dominated upper and middle James River basin, and it supports efforts to understand sources of pollutants in the basin and the degree of variation in concentrations of pollutants throughout the year due to runoff and seasonal influence.

Christian County, Missouri has been (and is still) one of the fastest growing areas in the state. Water quality monitoring in urban and suburban residential areas is needed to better understand the role of urban areas as non-point sources which contribute to the 303(d) listed James River. To date, few studies have addressed urban non-point pollution concerns in the James River Basin.

The lack of water quality data has raised questions about the concentrations and sources of non-point pollutants in the Finley Creek in Christian County. Anecdotal evidence and a few grab samples suggest that the middle and lower Finley Creek may contain high E. coli bacteria levels in excess of state limits. Further, efforts to develop a watershed management plan for the Finley require more water quality information than is presently available.

Poorly functioning on-site wastewater systems have been perceived as a major contributor of nonpoint source pollution to Ozarks streams. Shallow soils, karst features, and lack of maintenance are often cited as reasons these systems fail in this region. Due to the importance of tourism to the local economy, many communities are concerned with protecting their water resources.

The Upper White River Basin Foundation (UWRBF) has received a grant from the USEPA to address water quality concerns in the upper White river. Efforts to create a water quality management plan for the basin require that geospatial data bases and water quality data are comparable between Arkansas and Missouri. Further, existing water quality data and additional baseline monitoring data need to be evaluated for use in the development and implementation of the watershed management plan.

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is currently in the second (or feasibility) phase of a project to improve flood control on Jordan Creek in Springfield, Missouri. The project intends to reduce potential damage from floods on Jordan Creek and possibly also to restore the stream ecosystem and improve water quality (USACE, 2006). In order to evaluate progress toward these secondary project goals it is necessary to have an accurate assessment of pre-project conditions, including both pollutant concentrations and the stream and watershed conditions that affect those concentrations.

In December of 2004 the Environmental Resources Coalition (ERC) was awarded $1.5 million to support the Southwest Missouri WQIP. The mission of this project is to improve and protect water quality in Southwest Missouri while enhancing economic development. It will also identify and address major water quality problems of the region.

Springs are unique freshwater ecosystems that represent the dynamic interface between subterranean and epigean systems. Springs are numerous in Southwest Missouri because the area is physiographically dominated by karst features. Karst systems are sensitive to organic pollutants, because surface contaminants readily infiltrate subterranean storage areas providing an opportunity for later movement into springs.